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This might be off-topic but I was recently reading a book entitled “the science of reading” and to my surprise Gloria Swanson name came up. Supposedly in the 1930s she was quite the businesswoman and invested in the most cutting edge technology of the day. Who knew?

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She was an early cross-marketing whiz kid, for sure.

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from the book: "The science of reading" (pg 306)

"Gloria Swanson moved from L.A. to NYC in 1938. She had been frozen out of MGM allegedly because Louis B. Mayer believed her anti-semitic, and she needed a new direction. Like several film industry regulars of the era, Swanson had an abiding interest in technological wizardry she had once come up with an idea for a personal communication system for which a Russian inventor friend had tried to get her a patent..Swanson set up a factory in Queens. Soon the inventions started to come, for a range of gizmos from recording technologies and a copy machine to a cigarette holder. The most lucrative was a way of manufacturing plastic buttons much needed for military uniforms."

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What an amazing lineup! I'm very curious about the ones I haven't seen (most of them). The people who can attend will be lucky to have you there. Have fun!!

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One must question her judgement as J.P. Kennedy seems to have taken her pretty thoroughly

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